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Reviews
Superboy (1988)
Just like a comic book: fun and not to be taken too seriously!
Me being a big Stacy Haiduk fan, I just had to get the 1st season DVD set of "Superboy" since this was the first TV show where she appeared as a regular character playing Lana Lang, a young and talented high school reporter.
I never was very much into Superman and related movie adaptions or TV shows such as "Lois & Clark" or "Smallville". Since the show never aired in Germany, watching the DVD set was my first encounter with "The Adventures of Superboy". And I have to say after a few episodes I really started to like it! In fact, this show reminds me of some of the low budget TV shows I used to watch when I was younger. And I used to watch a lot TV back then! Sure, "Superboy" lacks great special effects or expensive production design and the acting is sometimes rather silly - but nevertheless this show lives of its originality. Even someone without a comic book background can see the true love and passion that went into this show creating a genuine comic book adaption despite obviously limited resources. And this is what TV or film making in general should be all about: staying true to your idea and being dedicated to create something original.
Well, I had a lot of fun watching this stuff and I can't wait to get my hands on the consecutive seasons.
Luther the Geek (1989)
Luther The Geek - A truly strange and disturbing horror movie
One thing's for certain: there aren't a lot of horror movies like this one. If this is a good or a bad thing however is for you to decide. Although Luther The Geek isn't your average splatter film, it obeys the basic rules of the genre and provides its viewer with all the classic ingredients. There is the psycho killer, remorseless and cruel, slashing his victims' neck with razor sharp metal teeth. There is the woman living isolated on a farm in the middle of nowhere, resembling the perfect victim. There is her beautiful, busty daughter who brings along her college boyfriend for some nude and even sex scenes. And there is the small town cop, who heroically takes on the killer all by himself due to his evident lack of intelligence.
It's all there - yet, this movie definitely is different. You'll quickly recognize the unusually silent atmosphere. Furthermore, the movie maintains a slow pace which reinforces the intensity of the pictures and leaves the viewer alone with the strange and sometimes pretty sick action he is forced to witness. A good example is the opening sequence when little Luther meets the chicken killing circus geek in a dark barn. There is no distraction from the picture, no cheap dialogue to fill the silence, no fast cuts. In a time when the typical splatter movie maintains a fast pace, has a high frequency of cuts, is filled with senseless dialogues, with screams and dramatic music, Luther The Geek manages to disturb its viewer by doing quite the opposite. And if this wasn't enough, Luther's behavior does the rest, walking around clucking like a chicken throughout the whole movie.
I don't know if you should consider "Luther The Geek" a classic but it's certainly a memorable movie you won't forget that easily. If you're really into horror movies and especially into those that are somewhat strange and different from mainstream films, you'll like this one. If you're looking for a "cool" scary movie - go and look somewhere else! Anyway, if you consider yourself a splatter film fan you just have to give this one a try! Me? I liked it! Well, kind of...
Steel and Lace (1990)
Nearly a waste of time
I've seen quite a few good b-type horror movies - unfortunately, this isn't one of them. In fact, if it wasn't for Stacy Haiduk, this film would be a complete waste of time. The plot as you've probably guessed is pretty simple: a fairly attractive concert pianist gets gang-rapped in a dark alley, the bad guys get acquitted in court and the victim kills herself in effect. Her brother, a scientist and specialist in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, brings his sister back to "life" five years later, turns her into a deadly cyborg - programmed on revenge. The story line hasn't got any exciting twists to it - the rapists go down one by one and even the splatter scenes are hardly imaginative. The performances of most actors involved are average at best, yet some are well below. Especially Clare Wren in her role as Final Exterminator (German title) isn't able to carry the movie. However, there is a ray of light: Alison (played by the gorgeous and most talented Stacy Haiduk), the sketch artist who was present at the trial, turns out to be an interesting character that is fun to watch as she gets involved in the investigation of the strange killings when she reviews her former work for a new book. She's the reason why I enjoyed watching this movie after all.